Queens World Film Festival’s 2017 Line-Up

Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) Artistic Director Don Cato announced the final selections, special events, venues, schedule, and honorees for The 7th Annual Queens World Film Festival. The festival is scheduled for March 14-19.

Each year, the Queens World Film Festival pays tribute to an outstanding filmmaker for his or her body of work. This year’s “Spirit of Queens” Award will go to independent film director Julie Dash, and her 1991 masterpiece, Daughters of the Dust, will be showcased at MMI on Wednesday night, March 15, from 7-10 pm. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Dash. The incredible Illusions by Dash will also be screened within another block of films shown at MMI on Friday, March 18.

The Queens World Film Festival engages audiences with targeted outreach to the diverse communities that comprise the borough of Queens. Cato stated that ”This year’s 135 films come from 25 nations whose diasporas are represented in Queens, the ‘World’s Borough.’ These films examine love, loss, immigration, mental health and some take on these themes in progressive, ground-breaking style. These films promise to move and entertain our audiences.”

Queens World Film Festival sponsors include Kaufman Astoria Studios, Investors Bank, MYNYCB, and Council Members Daniel Dromm and Jimmy Van Bramer.

Opening night at MMI kicks off at 7 pm with a VIP reception with the 2017 filmmakers, 2017 Honoree Julie Dash and other special guests. Dash will receive the 2017 Spirit of Queens Award for her outstanding contribution to cinema. The night will also feature five short films that will give the audience a glimpse of what is to come during Festival Week 2017.

At the Museum of the Moving Image, Redstone Theatre:

March 18, 5:30 pm - Adam Green’s Aladdin features Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone) leading an enthusiastic cast through the wildest adaptation of this classic that you will ever see. Also staring Alia Shawkat (State of Grace, Arrested Development, Search Party).

March 16, 8:00 pm – World premier of Searching for Fortune starring John Heard (The Sopranos, Big, The Milagro Beanfield War, Awakenings, Home Alone, Radio Flyer and more). A family drama about a woman who tracks down her recently deceased husband’s brother and reveals a 25-year-old family secret.

March 18, 2:45 pm – After School, by the rising star Alec Tibaldi, an alumnus of QWFF, who’s 2016 film, Ride or Die won the QWFF 2016 Best Ensemble Award. After School is another sterling example of great directing, acting and production, and stars Ruby Modine (Shameless) and the young and extremely promising Piper De Palma, whose father is film director Brian De Palma.

There are 130 more intriguing, challenging works including four about the undocumented immigrant experience and four more featuring challenging mental health conditions. There are six beautiful LGBT films, an animated film about brotherly love that will break your heart, thrillers, chillers and all-out, high camp.

The World’s Borough is well represented with 23 films from Queens, 16 from Manhattan, 17 from Brooklyn and 1 from the Bronx. There are 12 from Germany, 7 from Spain, 4 from Iran and 8 films are by Asian filmmakers from all over NYC. There are 50 films by women and three films that were collaborative efforts from educational institutions.

In addition to producing the annual Queens World Film Festival, the organization programs films year-round at a variety of borough venues through its “Encore” and “Old Spice” screening series, and through its “Young Filmmakers” training program.

The Queens World Film Festival is a program of the Queens World Film Initiative, Inc., a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization.